357 mag load suggestions

[a4beltfed2000]

OK daughter is using a handi in 357 mag for deer hunting. What bullet weights have you found that work will in your handis....what type of accurracy have you had with your rifle?

[Badnews Bob]

.357 handi rifles tend to shoot really well. I prefer 180gr hardcast out of mine for hunting loaded over a stout charge of H110 but the remington bulk 158gr JSPs are a very good choice also.  I do not use hollow points for hunting in .357, They do not penetrate well enuff in my opinion.  All three of my .357 handies will shoot inside of 3" offhand at 100 yards if I do my part. From a rest they easily do inside of 2".

I have put several deer in the cooler with my .357s, All one shot one dead deer.

[quickdtoo]

While I've only shot the 140gr FTX ammo in mine which don't shoot worth a darn btw, I thought I'd try them since no one had reported on them at the time, but from the millions of posts on it here, 158gr and bigger bullets are the best choice.  I also had a 357Max barrel that shot 158gr ammo excellent.

Just in case you're interested in Maxing sometime later, I'm reaming my current Mag to Max and will shoot CW's favorite load of the 180gr Speer and AA1680 which seems to be a universally good load combination with excellent terminal performance of deer. 

Tim

[dpe.ahoy]

For the mag, a 158 soft point sitting on top of a max load of LilGun shoots great out of all 3 of my Handi's as well as 2 levers and 2 revolvers.  I have used the XTP-FP's with success in the past.  Have 158 Rem. SP's to try for this year if I get the chance, have read lots of good things about the Rem SP's  Now that my Handi's are all 3 reamed to 357 Max, I will be trying the 1680 with 180gr. as well.  I have 180's in XTP's and WFNGC's from CP and Mt. Bullet Works.  DP

[45-70.gov]

180 grain cast  WFN  from  lbt  mould   blue lube

38  and  357

[zoner]

my 357 only kills paper targets right now....158 gr rnl @ 1" or less at 100 yds.....factory 158 federal hydra shok does about an inch at 100 yds,too....

[BrianB]

The best combo I have found is Lil' Gun and either 158gr Hornady XTP's or 180gr XTP's.  They are designed to perform at just about any speed you would shoot them.  The Lil' Gun is about the best I've seen for the .357 and shoots at substantially lower pressures than the other powders that are typically used in hunting loads.  I have personally gone to the 180gr XTP in my Handi just for the extra energy, but I'm still using 158's in my GP100 just because it performed beautifully on the one deer my son shot with it and I have a bunch already loaded.  If you want, PM me and I'll scan the data I have from my load book.  (I would prefer to scan it as it will rule out typo's)
The 180gr XTP's and a pretty heavy charge of Lil' Gun produces almost no recoil in a rifle, even the smallest-framed person could shoot it all day with no complaints.